Thompson brings leadership experience to Blaze

Photo: Indy Fuel

The Coventry Blaze have confirmed the signing of 27-year-old Matthew Thompson for 2011/22.

The 6'1" forward comes in after captaining the Indy Fuel in the ECHL last season. In total, Thompson has played 111 ECHL games over four seasons, scoring 33 goals and assisting 48 others. He captained Adrian College during his last two seasons at the NCAA III side, and scored over 60 goals in the league in four years.

"We are getting Mathew at a great age. He has had a lot of success early on in his career, and gives us a top-six centre," said Head Coach Danny Stewart. "He’s a right-handed guy which we have missed, and his hockey IQ is very good. He can play all situations on both sides of the puck and will eat a lot of minutes for us next season.

"He can create through many different ways and we like his overall game. Being named Captain in your second season of pro says a lot about his character, and that goes a long way in joining a new team with a big core."